The Bookstore
by MarcWinter
Summary: I'm a bookworm. Thankfully, she is too.
1. Chapter 1

**Modern Day story. **

**I think I may have used the word "book" too much, but, hey, there aren't very many synonyms for it! Plus, the word is kind of important to the story, so it shouldn't be too big a deal.**

I like books. I always have. Books are by far my favorite form of storytelling. With movies, you can't always accurately show what's going on in the character's head and so many people look too far into poetry, so even if you weren't trying to be very deep, they assume you were anyway and your point doesn't come across. And of course, you can always talk face to face, but far too often I'll forget a part of the story, or just think it's better than it really is and not realize my folly until it's too late.

I've read countless books from tons of different genres. I can't say I have a favorite piece of literature in general, but I definitely have favorites from certain category. I can't pick a favorite because there's too much to think of when deciding. Sure, this book wasn't as funny as this book, but that's because the first book was a mystery novel. This book didn't have a lot of romance, but maybe that's because it's a biography on Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. This is also why I can't just randomly recommend a book. People may ask me for a good story to read, but I have to know what it is you're looking for before I can suggest something. People say, "Oh, I don't care. Just something" so I hand them a copy of Never Let Me Go and they look at me and say, "I don't really want anything futuristic." Then you probably should've mentioned that.

I also won't avoid reading a book just because it's not what a typical guy should be doing. I've read Twilight, and sure people messed with me because of it, but I didn't care. People were saying it's a great story, so I wanted to check it out. Now, it wasn't as good as say, The Stranger, but I can see why it caught the eye of the general public. It's not terrible if you like love stories with supernatural elements. Personally, I wasn't too crazy about it, but I understand that other people are.

I like hanging out in the book store. Try guessing why. I like them more than a library because the books are always in good condition. I wouldn't mind working in the store, but I've heard, numerous times, people trying to return tattered books that "weren't very good and I want my money back." "But sir, the book is damaged." "I didn't do that."

…..

Anyway, I would want to have to deal with that. But the bookstore I go to most often is part of a mall in a huge part of the city, so I can also go to other places with my friends after I bore them in my favorite stop. So, as you can figure out I spend most of my time in the bookstore by myself. Until I met a friend there, that is.

* * *

I was sitting at a table with a book next to me and one in my hand. I glanced around and saw that the store was pretty packed. People were in line, in the shelf rows, and just walking all over the place. It was the holiday season, but still, the amount of people surprised me. Regardless, I went back to my book. I'm not sure how much time passed, but suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I jumped a bit and looked up and saw a very pretty girl. She had a blonde hair that was in a ponytail, but still reached her shoulder blades. She also had a few bangs in front of her she had to move aside. She was wearing glasses, a pink sweatshirt, and jeans. She was hugging a book to her body with one arm and the other had flinched back when I had jumped.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I just wanted to know if I could sit by you." She said, quietly. I couldn't tell if it was because she was shy or respecting the serenity of the store.

"Uh, yeah, yeah! No problem." I said, slowly coming back to reality. She smiled at me and went to the other side of the table. I glance around and saw that all of the tables were full of people either reading or having quiet conversations.

"Sorry for startling you." She sat down and smiled sweetly. "I tried talking to you, but you were absorbed in your book and couldn't hear me."

"Oh, seriously? I should be the one apologizing then… Sorry about that." I said.

She kept smiling at me. "Don't worry about. I'm the same way. I'm Zelda, by the way."

"I'm Link." I stuck out my hand. "Nice to meet you."

She shook my hand and gave a soft laugh. "You too, Link." She then opened her book and I went back to mine.

We didn't talk at all until I had to leave. I stood up and stretched a bit. I gathered my books and spoke to Zelda. "Well, I'm going to head out. Thanks for keeping me company, Zelda!"

She looked up. "Oh you're leaving? Yeah, it was my pleasure!"

I smiled at her and went to the check out. I left the store and walked out into the parking complex of the mall. As I go to my car, I realized I forgot my coffee mug. I dropped my purchases in the passenger seat and walked back to the store. I went to the table, but couldn't find Zelda anywhere. I assumed she had left after I did. But I DID find my travel mug, so I grabbed it and headed out.

* * *

Nothing eventful happened until I went back to the store that weekend. My roommate Kafei had dropped me off, while he went to park the car and do some Christmas shopping for his girlfriend Anju. I sat down at the same table as before and had a big stack of reading material next to me. I was there for probably an hour when a person walked in front a cleared their throat.

I glanced up and saw Zelda smiling down at me. "Hi Link!"

I stared for a second then a smile broke out. "Hey there, Zelda!"

"May I?"

"By all means." I gestured towards the chair opposite me. She sat down and put four books beside her. "Wow, that's quite few books you have there."

She smiled. "Look who's talking."

I laughed. "I suppose that IS the pot calling the kettle black. You like reading, I take it."

"I love it! I have so many books and plays in my apartment, that I hardly have room for a bed."

"Same here." I put my book on the table. "What's your favorite genre?"

She leaned back and sighed. "Hmm…. Well, right now, I'd say I like old Greek tragedies and contemporary realistic fiction."

I couldn't help but laugh again. "Those aren't two categories you see together very often!"

"Yeah, I guess not. How about you?"

"Uh, I suppose I'm into more suspenseful stories. Not quite gory horror, but something that makes me antsy while reading it."

"Very nice." She nodded.

"What has four legs in the morning, 2 legs during the day, and 3 legs by night?" I asked her.

I saw a glimmer in her eyes then she smiled and said, "A person. A baby crawls on all fours, during early to mid-life a person walks on 2 legs, and during old age they use a cane. Trying the quiz me on Oedipus Rex?"

I shrugged. "Just wanted to see if you were really into Greek plays."

"Hmm…. Well, in that case, who used the phrase 'The horror! The horror!'?"

I grinned. "Mr. Kurtz in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Where did Katniss from The Hunger Games get her last name?"

"Bathsheba Everdene, Far From the Madding Crowd. What book takes a 6 year old from his family and puts him in a space academy?"

"Ender's Game. What dystopian novel has everything in the world censored down to sound bites and resorts to destroying books to stop upsetting anybody?"

"Fahrenheit 451. What fat cat loves lasagna?"

I stared at her for a little while. "Garfield…. Everybody knows that."

She looked down, but with a smile. "I know, I just couldn't think of any other questions on the spot."

We both started laughing. I checked my phone when I got a text. Kafei said he had just arrived at the car and that he was on his way to the store to pick me up.

"Ah…" I stood up and began to put on my jacket. "This has been fun Zelda, but my ride's about to come pick me up. I'll have to take my leave here."

"Ohh… That's too bad. Well, it was nice seeing you again!" She smiled up at me.

"You too! You know, I'll probably end up back here on Wednesday. Shall I see you here again?"

"Yeah, sure! I want to continue our conversation." She said.

"See you then, Zelda."

"Bye Link."

I went outside and waited for about half a minute, then Kafei pulled up. I got in the passenger's seat and as I was putting on my seatbelt, I looked out the window. Zelda had just walked out with her books in a bag and waved to me.

When I waved back, Kafei asked me, "Who's that? She's pretty hot."

"That's Zelda. I just met her a few days ago." I told him.

"That's cool. Are you going to ask her out?" He asked, pulling away from the store.

"I think I already may have, but I'm not positive."

"Of course you're not." Kafei said, smirking.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just realized I didn't underline any book titles in the previous chapter. Now, I could go back and fix that, or continue on incorrectly. I opt for the latter, because I'm all about rebellion! Take that, literary rules!**

"So, how important is location and scenery to you?" I asked Zelda.

She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "I think they're both pretty substantial. I mean, the story is about discovering the characters, right? So I don't think there's a huge necessity in describing somebody. Maybe only looks. But I think it's better when the author describes where things are taking place. You know, paint the picture."

I leaned back and closed my eyes, taking in her thoughts. "I can see where you're coming from, but I'm quite the opposite. I'd like a quick backstory on the characters as opposed to a description of the scenery. Even if I do read a description of the location, I end up comparing it to places I've seen, then picturing the story taking place there. Like, 'There was a small window above the kitchen sink that lets you see out into the field'. I end up thinking, 'Oh, just like my grandparent's house' then picturing the story taking place there. I don't need a description past 'a city' or 'a forest', because I'll just end up making my own location."

Zelda nodded her head. "I can understand that. I have a friend who operates like you. She hasn't read as much as me, or for that matter you, but she's read enough to already notice how she reads books, if that makes sense."

"It's nice that you have somebody to talk to about this stuff. My friends aren't too into books, more movies and such. But that doesn't matter because now I can talk to you about them!" I smiled at her.

"Glad I can help!" She said, sweetly.

I leaned back in my chair and sighed contently. "So, how long have we been here?" I asked.

We glanced around to see if there was a clock, but we just ended up checking our phones. "Well, I got here at 3, and you showed up a little after that, so almost 2 and half hours." Zelda said.

"Whoa, it's almost 5:30? I should head out. I have to make dinner before my roommate starts deep-frying cereal or something."

Zelda gave me a confused look. "Before he does what?"

"Oh, I'm just saying he's terrible at cooking. That was a slight exaggeration." I said, putting on my coat.

"Oh, ok, I gotcha. Hey, can I have your number? You know, so we can text each other." She asked pulling out her phone.

I blinked a couple of times, processing the question. "Oh, uh… Yeah, sure." She handed me her phone and I plugged in my number. I was a bit taken aback. I've never been asked for my number before.

I handed her back the phone. She smiled at me again. "Great! Thanks a lot, Link. It was great talking to you for all this time."

"You too! I'll talk to you later." I said with a small wave and headed for the exit. Admittedly, I felt pretty good about myself. A pretty, intelligent girl that I can actually talk to asked me for number. More often than not, it's Kafei that gets numbers, until he tells them he already has a girlfriend.

* * *

When I got to the apartment I told Kafei what had happened.

"That's great! The cute blonde from the other day, right? Now you can go get a book called, Dating for Dummies." He said, flipping through the channels.

"I haven't even asked her out yet." I said, sitting on the couch and opening The Hobbit. "And I've dated before."

"You dated girls from Kakariko. Girls from your little hometown aren't the same as here in the city." He said, putting down the remote and reclining back. "Hey, haven't you read that story a million times already?"

"You bet. Haven't you seen this episode a million times?" I asked him.

"Hmm. I suppose so. Hey, you should make a pizza or something." He suggested.

"Oh, right." I remembered that was the reason I came home in the first place.

* * *

Two days had passed. Zelda didn't call or text me at all, and since I didn't have her number I couldn't start the conversation. I was at the bookstore for about an hour just reading at my usual table when I got a call from Zelda.

"Hi Link!" She said, in her usual cheery manner.

"Hey there Zelda." I replied, trying to keep quiet for the sake of the other readers.

"Are you at the store right now?" She asked me.

I gave a small laugh. "Where else would I be?"

"Great, I'm already on my way there! I just wanted to ask if you could pull something off the shelves and hold onto it for me."

"Sure, no problem. What book do you want?"

"It should be under nonfiction. It's called The Book of Mudora." She explained.

"Whoa, now you're really getting into ancient literature, aren't you?" I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah… Could you find it for me?"

"Absolutely! I'll have it for you when you get here." I assured her.

"Great, Thanks so much Link! I'll see you in a few minutes!"

"See you in a bit, Zel." I said before closing my phone.

I stood up and stretched a bit before heading to the second story of the bookstore. The Book of Mudora. That's a book that makes The Epic of Gilgamesh seem like a 21st century novel. It was written centuries before Hyrule was even a government with a collection of small towns, let alone the monarchy it is today. The book is so ancient that it isn't even used for educational purposes. It's talked about a little bit in basic high school history classes, but otherwise it's only used for a college student going for a masters or doctorate in Hylian History.

I glanced around the nonfiction aisle for about a minute. I realized finding it would be a bit difficult since the book doesn't have an author. Or a KNOWN author at least. I went to the customer service desk to get some help. At the desk was a guy with a name tag that said "Shad". He had a book with him at the desk and glasses that made him look like a stereotypical bookworm. He was switching between looking at his book and screen of the computer at the desk.

"How can I help you?" He asked as I approached him.

"Do you have the Book of Mudora?"

His eyebrows rose. "Wow, not many people ask for that particular work. Yes, I know we have it." He began typing on the computer. "I'm just not sure where. Have you checked the Nonfiction section?"

"Yeah, but I didn't see it anywhere." I told him.

"Hmmmm….." He said, moving his eyes across the screen. "Ah, because it's in the reference section. Come with me."

"Great, thanks!" I said, as we left the desk and headed downstairs.

"Would you like a direct translation of the Book, or one that's been given a more modern vernacular?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Umm…. I'm actually looking for it for a friend of mine, and I don't know which one she wants. I'll just take one of each and let her decide when she gets here."

"Alright then. Here you are." He pointed to a row of books one shelf from the bottom.

"Great thanks again!" I said. He nodded and went back upstairs to his desk.

I grabbed two of the copies of Mudora and went back to the table. I opened the older version of the Book and tried giving it a go. That's when I remembered how I felt in 7th grade trying to read The Odyssey.

"You found it? Fantastic, thank you Link!"

I looked up and saw Zelda had arrived. She must have just walked in the door, because her cheeks were still red from the cold outside. It made her look pretty adorable.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure which version you wanted though." I said, gesturing towards the two books on the table.

"What's the difference?" she asked me.

"One of them is made for a modern audience."

"Oh, that's convenient!" She said, picking them both up and looking between the two. "But I think I'll go with the more authentic one."

"So what do you need the book for? Is it for school or something?" I asked her.

"Oh, um… No, no. It's not anything important." Zelda said, not taking her eyes off the book.

"What is it? Come on, tell me!" I smiled.

"It's just…. For a book I'm writing." She finally told me.

My eyes opened wide. "You're writing a book? That's awesome! What's it about?"

"It's an adventure. Two people need the Book of Mudora to help them along their way." She explained.

I looked at her with half a smile. "That's all you're going to tell me about it, isn't it?"

She smiled back. "Yeah, pretty much."

I laughed. "Well, what's it called? The Legend of…" I stopped laughing and looked around. Zelda did the same. We felt like there was something going on that we didn't know about. But we quickly shook it off.

"...Anyway, I'm looking forward to finding out more about your novel!" I told her.


End file.
